Credit rating companies face curbs on when they can assess government debt and restrictions on their ownership under draft plans agreed upon by the European Union to limit the industry's influence and tackle conflicts of interest.

Investors will also get the right to sue ratings companies if they lose money because of malpractice or gross negligence in the plans agreed upon yesterday by lawmakers from the European Parliament and Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

“We have reached a good result,” Michel Barnier, the EU's financial services chief, said in an e-mailed statement. “With this agreement, we are taking another important step towards financial stability.”